Page 27 of Venomous Lies
Swallowing down the sarcastic retort on the tip of my tongue, I forced myself to merely nod in acknowledgment.
I’d just leave him to deal with Ambrose’s anger since I was certain the fae was ready to erupt. The memory of his lips against mine and the scrape of the rough bark against my back had me turning back to the professor. Feeling extra daring after my conversation with Bones, I left him with a wink.
The weight of his gaze seemed to impossibly follow me out of the building. The chill breeze and the light rain brought an even wider smile to my face as I heard Bricriu light a cigarette behind me.
“That was fun.”
“Hellsing was speechless, almost, and Ambrose was pissed off.” Bones blew out a long cloud of smoke as I turned to face him. He considered me for a moment before taking a long drag. “Professor Ambrose, huh?”
“It’s—”
“Complicated?” Bones said with a rueful smile before he shook his head.
“Yeah.”
“Is what we talked about earlier with me…? Will that be an issue?”
‘Don’t let my gut reaction to it sway you, beastie,’Cas reassured me, his voice smaller than normal.‘It’s been a long time, and vampires have to feed.’
“I’ve never been in a relationship with someone who was with someone else.” I spoke slowly, trying to feel out the right way to express my thoughts as they came to me. “I won’t say I won’t get jealous, but no… No, I don’t mind. We’ll just?—”
“Have to figure it out together.” Bones said the last partwith me, and I gave him an unsure half smile and nod. “Seems to be our motto, poison weaver.”
“Poison weaver?” I questioned, tilting my head to consider the bone fae in front of me.
“It’s the first thing I thought of when I saw you. Dangerous and alluring, deadly.” He finished the cigarette and put it out on the wall nearby. “Did you want that food?”
“Yeah,” I replied absently. His wording had pulled a thought forward in my mind, making me recall the strands of magick I’d seen when we mated.Weaver… Was there something to it?“Let’s get something to eat, then there’s someone we’re going to find.”
“Who?”
“Wells,” I said with determination as I snagged his hand and urged him to follow me. “There’s something I need to ask him.”
JULIAN
“Mates?!” Ambrose hissed next to me, and I leveled a stern glare in his direction.
“Keep the fire under control, Ambrose.”
“How the fuck do you?—?”
“Control.”
Ambrose didn’t say anything else, but I could see how he almost had to physically hold himself in check as the fire turned to smoke around his fingers. Orange and red eyes narrowed in annoyance, but thankfully, he kept it together. At least on the outside.
Isla Hallowes is nothing but trouble.
This just proved it.
“Mates?” he asked again. This time, the word was spoken much calmer, though it still contained an undercurrent of violent promise.
“Bricriu told me,” I replied evenly, brushing past the irate fae. “I hope you do realize this isn’t something they could have?—”
I stopped talking when I heard him stalking away, every footstep measured and controlled.
Ambrose was on a fucking hair trigger, which wasn’t wholly unusual, but as far as Isla was concerned, things seemed different. His edges had become much sharper, the viciousness in his gaze harder ever since he had met her.
A sigh escaped me as I rubbed my face, making my way to my room. Thankfully, most students were out enjoying their day off, so I got to enjoy a quiet stroll to my quarters.
